Pure Joy?
When tribulations come, our family will sometimes smirk and say, do we have pure joy yet? Why such a strange family you say?
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds.
James kicks off his epistle with these stirring words. Was James talking nonsense?
Why does our family sometimes smirk and say this?
The truth is that we know James is right, but we cannot feel pure joy quite yet. However, we see it as a great thing to shoot for. Is it because we are deranged?
Let’s see what more James says:
3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything
And Romans 5 famously says:
Not only so, but we[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Both Paul in Romans and James in James are saying the same thing and from the same base. Neither is joking when they say this.
God loves us enough to bring us all the trouble we need to grow as people and have a chance to yet deepen our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Some, like my poor Great Grandfather, will turn away.
Pure Joy, Really?
The shock value of this phrase we get now may not have been the shock value then, but I guess most people in all times have known this is a truth we have a hard time reaching. We, here, have certainly not reached it, but see it is our destiny.
However, we all have a chance in trial to turn toward or away from God who loves us enough to bring the trial. I can look back at my trial at age 26-28 where I ended up doubting everything about God and know it was among the most meaningful in my life.
But come again, Pure Joy? He woke me up when he said this. Did God say this just to shock us and make us think yet more? Well, lets hope we hear Him and know how to take him. It is a truth we need to chew on more.
